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Field Notes, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A Blackpoll Warbler encounter at Jordan Lake , NC

By Sally Siko

As autumn migration is winding down it’s getting a little more difficult to tick off the remaining warblers that I’ve set out to see for my yearly list.
Most have flown south to spend the winter in warmer locals but sometimes I’ll get lucky and pick up a late bird.
This was the case when I spotted this Blackpoll Warbler while birding last weekend at the Model Airplane Fields on Jordan Lake in New Hill NC.
I hadn’t seen this species all year so I was absolutely elated to catch a glimpse of this sweet little bird while it searched for a snack in the brush.



Male Blackpoll Warblers can be tough to ID when not in their familiar black and white breeding plumage.
As seen here dressed in autumn drab colors, they resemble the females and are often confused with Bay-breasted and Pine Warblers.
My go-to ID point are the Blackpoll’s orange feet paired with black legs since both Bay’s and Pines have dark grey feet. This makes it a little easier to figure what I’m looking at when trying to squint out a good look through the leaves.



Blackpoll Warblers nest across northern Canada and into Alaska. They are considered a transient visitor to the Tarheel State, only passing through during the migratory periods of spring and fall.
Though most are likely out of the area by now, it’s still worth keeping an eye out for them over the next week or so.
If ya end up missing out, no worries!
They’ll return to North Carolina in April so you’ll have another opportunity to catch a look then.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Black-throated Blue Warbler migration at Jordan lake

There are certain birds out there that I’ve seen several times over the years but haven’t got a proper good look at.
Sure, this is fine for my life list but as a photographer, it’s unsatisfying.
Case in point, this Black-throated Blue Warbler.


Though I was grateful to spot a lovely pair at Ebenezer Point at the Jordan Lake SRA this past weekend, unfortunately I was thwarted again of a great shot by these little beauties proclivity for ducking behind the leaves. Thank goodness for @canonusa R5 Animal Eye Focus so that I could at least catch a few useable photos lol!
Though I spent almost an hour trying to capture an unobscured portrait of one, it was not to be.
Not that this is a problem though.
Now I’ve got a great reason to get back out there to find them again to try for that “perfect” frame filling shot.
Which is of course, fine by me 😉



Black-throated Blue Warblers are absolutely stunning little birds. The males are dressed in black, blue and white plumage while the females are a lovely shade of sage green, bluish grey and tan.
Weighing in at .37 ounces and measuring just 5.7 inches in length these guys are tough to photograph as they move quickly in the trees picking at the the underside of leaves in search of a meal.
That being said, unlike many other species of wood warblers, Black-throated Blue’s tend to hunt in the mid to lower canopy of trees which is a nice way to avoid “warbler neck” during autumn migration 😉

They’ll only stick around NC for a few more days before heading south for the winter but the Black-throated Blues will return in late April so if you’ve missed a look (or photo lol!) of them this year, no worries!
There is always next spring to continue the chase…

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my mirrorless megapixel monster, the mighty @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Yellow-throated Warbler autumn migration at Jordan Lake SRA

Here’s another bird I’ve been seeing in higher numbers this year, the Yellow-throated Warbler.
These little gems seem to pop up everywhere I’ve gone birding in North Carolina since May and I couldn’t be happier about it 🙂


I spotted the bird in the first photo a few days ago at Ebenezer Point in Pittsboro NC and the second bird this past May at Yates Mill Park in Raleigh NC.

Perhaps the reason why “warbler neck” is a thing, Yellow-throated Warblers are best spotted in the mid to high canopy of the trees searching for insects and spiders as they pry into crevices along branches.
Unlike other warblers that move quickly and sporadically while hunting for food, Yellow-throated’s are slower moving and deliberate when hunting as they scour the branches, leaves, and ground for a snack.
This makes them a bit easier to observe and photograph which is always nice lol!

Arriving in late March Yellow-throated Warblers may be found throughout most of the state however they are somewhat more common in our eastern counties.
Look for Yellow-throated’s in varied habitats like dry pine stands and also in the tall trees growing along shorelines of ponds, lakes and streams. They are also fond of swampy areas too which makes for a pretty diverse range of opportunities in which to find them.
Unfortunately they will be leaving NC soon to head south for the winter so try and get out and see them this week or you’ll have to wait until spring to enjoy these delightful little birds again.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my twin mighty megapixel dragons the @canonusa#R5 & the #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Out There with the Expert

Enjoying the Cape May Warblers at Jordan Lake SRA

It’s not often that I’ll post the same species of bird twice in a week but there were tons of Cape May Warblers putting on a show at Ebenezer Point at Jordan Lake in Pittsboro North Carolina recently.
It was great to see so many of them flitting through the trees, chasing each other while feasting any six or eight legged snack that dared cross their path in the canopy.



These lovely warblers were named for the county of Cape May, NJ where the species was first noted in scientific literature.
Sitting at the southern tip of New Jersey, bordering the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic, Cape May county is the premier destination for migrating birds along the east coast of the US.

Though Cape May Warblers stop in NJ when traveling between their breeding & wintering grounds, they are hardly alone as hundreds of different bird species are found in Cape May county every year during each migration cycles.
It seems like an odd name to give these beauties as it hardly describes any of the species unique characteristics.



Given the Cape May’s preference for nesting & feeding in conifer forests, perhaps a better name might be spruce warbler or maybe even tiger warbler since they sport those bold black stripes on it’s warm yellow breast.
Moniker choice aside, these feathered gems are standout birds in my eyes and I’m always grateful to catch a glimpse of Cape May every autumn.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless monster of a camera, the @canonusa
#R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Pine Warblers at jordan Lake SRA

With so many species of seldom seen migratory warblers flying in for a quick visit to the Tarheel state, year round residents such as the Pine Warbler are often overlooked when autumn arrives.


That’s a shame because these tiny yellow fluff balls are quite charming in their own right.
Happily they aren’t as shy as most other warblers and are even frequent visitors to our yards throughout the year, especially if you have provided a suet feeder for them to snack on.

I spotted this one at Ebaneezer Point on Jordan lake yesterday morning.
It was neat to watch him moving through the branches to locate a suitable breakfast. In this case, an insects egg sack hit the spot.



As their name suggests, Pine Warblers are best found in stands of pine trees hunting for a six or eight legged meal. Their diet mainly consists of insects yet when winter arrives they change their diets to include pine nuts, seeds, fruits and berries. This unique digestive adaptation allows them to get the nutrients they need even when insects are scarce.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty @canonusa
#5ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

A Yellow Warbler encounter at Jordan Lake SRA

Here’s a bit of feathered sunshine to brighten your day, a Yellow Warbler!


I was pleasantly surprised to find a pair of them yesterday afternoon while birding at Jordan Lake in central NC.
It was neat to be able to catch a good look at these beauties hunting for insects in a stand of trees along the shoreline.

Yellow Warblers are true omnivores and are able to adapt their diets to suit the bounty of a given season.
During the spring and summer, their diet is based on insects such as leafhoppers, beetles, wasps, midges and caterpillars. They are often seen hovering over tree branches as they glean to catch the flash of light reflecting off of an insect’s wings.
When the weather cools, berries and fruits may also be consumed during the autumn winter months to supplement their normal diet when insects are scarce.



Unfortunately these gorgeous birds won’t be in North Carolina much longer in 2021 as they’ll soon migrate to locations in Central America and northern South America to spend the winter.
If you missed them this year, no worries they will be back again here in the Tarheel State sometime around mid April 2022.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty @canonusa
#5ds

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

A Great Blue Heron encounter on the Haw River in New Hill, NC

Last week, I took a birding trip to the Jordan Lake Dam in New Hill NC.
Along with the usual crew of Cormorants, gulls and Bald Eagles there were several Great Blue Herons hunting for fish in the Haw River.


It was wonderful to watch them gliding above the water low & slow like a jet. Whenever something caught their eye, they’d dive down into the water below.


I wish I was able to grab a photo of at least one bird facing me whenever they’d strike a fish, but every single Heron had its back to me that morning lol! Still, it was great fun to
photograph these magnificent birds in action.



A staple of the waterways here in North Carolina, Great Blue Herons are easily recognizable by their long graceful necks and legs and stately slate -blue plumage.
They are indeed attractive birds with those black plumes on their white head, bold black patches on their underparts, and even swatches of reddish-brown on the wings and thighs. Those dark grey flight feathers set off their bold look nicely!
As seen here in these photos, Great Blue Herons take off with their necks fully extended, but after a few wing beats they’ll pull it into that signature S shape as they fly on.


The largest and most widespread heron species in North America, Great Blue Herons are a familiar sight to many people from the mangrove swamps of Florida all the way up through Canada to the coastline of Alaska.
Here in NC, they may be found hunting for a meal at freshwater ponds, lakes, and streams all year long in all one hundred counties. Interestingly, they also feed in brackish waters, especially so at the coastal impoundments located in our eastern counties.
Aren’t they lovely?

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Jordan Lake Dam: Migrating Bald eagles

A few weeks ago, I took a quick scouting visit to Jordan Lake to see how many Bald Eagles had arrived.
I was pleased to see a few dozen but was hoping that there would be more.



These gorgeous birds are really fun to watch hunt and squabble for a meal.
As seen in the last few photos in this post, sometimes they can lose a catch just by landing on the wrong branch at the wrong time lol!



Jordan Lake is home to more than 20 pairs of nesting Bald Eagles that call this beautiful lake home throughout the year.
The Haw River which flows out the lake to the south is host to a large population of migratory Eagles during the wintertime. From what I’ve observed in the past few years, this large flock can grow to 100 birds is mainly made up of un-paired adults and juveniles.

Adult Bald Eagles are accomplished anglers and are able to zero in on their prey from over 30 feet above the water.
Once they commit to a fish, they bring their legs forward curling their body into a C position as their talons line up in line with their eyes in a dead focused triangle. The precision displayed in the moment that they strike their quarry is remarkable!

With a catch rate numbering in the 10% range, the younger ones are still learning the fine art of fishing but it’s really neat to watch their skills progress over the season.
Most of their misses seem to come from the juveniles not bringing their legs up high enough to better focus that narrow the shot range.
As with the case with many of us, they will fail over and over again, learning along the way until they are as accomplished as their elders 😉

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds

Field Notes, Instagram Birding, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

TBW a Tufted Titmouse encounter at Jordan Lake

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Is there anything cuter then a young Tufted Titmouse? Nope, lol! Here’s some of my favorite shots from a family of Tufted Titmice that I found earlier this year at the Jordan Lake SRA in New Hill, N.C. They are known to nest in all 100 of North Carolina’s counties with a breeding season that runs March through May. Tufted Titmice prefer to build their nests inside old Woodpecker holes bored into tree trunks. Lining their nest with grass, feathers and other soft materials, they provide a safe and warm home for their nestlings, hidden away inside the tree. The young are able to take their first jumps into the air after just 16 days and will begin the breeding cycle within their first year. These cheerful birds spend the entire year here in NC and may be found in abundance throughout the eastern United States from southern Maine all the way down to Florida. They are closely related to Chickadees and often travel with them foraging for a meal in mixed flocks. Keep an eye out for them in your own neighborhood as they are a familiar sight at most backyard feeders here in the Tarheel State 🙂 Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame SLR, the @canonusa #5Ds

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Field Notes, Instagram Birding, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

An Ovenbird encounter at the Jordan Lake State Park recreation Area

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While exploring the woods near the Audubon Observation Deck near Apex, N.C., I heard a familiar melody echoing through the trees. I followed the song to a small clearing and was rewarded with the sight of a beautiful little Ovenbird perched on a low lying branch. This warbler can be found foraging for insects and grubs on the floor of North Carolina’s mature forests–those that are usually dry with deciduous trees, but you can also find them in wet areas or in northern coniferous forests. They prefer to hang out in areas with little or no underbrush making them relatively easy to find in the dark woods. By the way, did you know that the term "oven" bird comes from the shape of their ground nests which look like a little oven? Neat! 🙂 Photo by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc Canon 5Ds . . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #birdwatchers #bird #birds #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canon #canon5ds #ncoutdoors #ncnature #canonwildlife #ncwildlifephotographer #northcarolinabirding #birdwatchingnc #northcarolinabirds #audubonsociety #birdoftheday #audubonnc #ovenbird #bestbirds #bestbirdshots #birds #birdwatcher #jordanlakenc

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